"Not well."
"What, couldn"t you hit a chap like Stevens between the eyes at ten paces? I"m sure I could do it, blindfolded, by a sort of instinct."
And the youth, shutting his eyes, as if to try the experiment, drew forth one of his pistols from his bosom, and began to direct its muzzle around the room.
"There was a black spider THERE, gran"pa! I"m sure, taking him for Stevens, I could cut his web for him."
"You have cut that of Stevens himself, and his comb too, Ned."
"Yes, yes--but what a fool I was not to make it his gills!"
By this time the old man had got on his spencer, and, with staff in hand, declared himself in readiness. Ned Hinkley lowered his pistol with reluctance. He was very anxious to try the weapon and his own aim, on somebody or something. That black spider which lived so securely in the domicil of Mr. Calvert would have stood no chance in any apartment of the widow Hinkley. Even the "pacificator" would have been employed for its extermination, if, for no other reason, because of the fancied resemblance which it had always worn to Brother Stevens--a resemblance which occurred to him, perhaps, in consequence of the supposed similarity between the arts of the libertine and those for the entrapping of his victims which distinguish the labors of the spider.
The two were soon arrived at old Hinkley"s, and the tale of Ned was told; but, such was the bigotry of the hearers, without securing belief.
"So blessed a young man!" said the old lady.
"A brand from the burning!" exclaimed Brother Cross.
"It"s all an invention of Satan!" cried old Hinkley, "to prevent the consummation of a goodly work."
"We should not give our faith too readily to such devices of the enemy, Friend Calvert," said John Cross, paternally.
"I never saw anything in him that wasn"t perfectly saint-like," said Mrs. Hinkley. "He made the most heartfelt prayer, and the loveliest blessing before meat! I think I hear him now--"Lord, make us thankful"--with his eyes shut up so sweetly, and with such a voice."
"There are always some people, Brother Cross, to hate the saints of the Lord and to slander them! They lie in wait like thieves of the night, and roaring lions of the wilderness, seeking what they may devour."
"Ah," exclaimed Brother Cross, "how little do such know that they devour themselves; for whoso destroyeth his best friend is a devourer of himself."
"The blindness of Satan is upon them, and they do his work."
And thus--purr, purr, purr--they went on, to the end of the chapter.
Poor Ned Hinkley found the whole kennel was upon him. Not only did they deny everything that could by possibility affect the fair fame of the absent brother, but, from defending him, they pa.s.sed, with an easy transition, to the denunciation of those who were supposed to be his defamers. In this the worthy old man Calvert came in for his share.
"All this comes of your supporting that worthless boy of mine in defiance of my will," said old Hinkley. "You hate Brother Stevens because that boy hated him, and because I love him."
"You are mistaken, Mr. Hinkley," said Calvert, mildly. "I hate n.o.body; at the same time I suffer no mere prejudices to delude me against sight and reason."
"Ah!" said Brother Cross, gently, "it"s that very reason, Brother Calvert, that ruins you worldlings. You must not rely on human reason.
Build on faith, and you build on the Rock of Ages."
"I propose to use reason only in worldly matters, Mr. Cross," said the other; "for which use, only, I believe it was given us. I employ it in reference to a case of ordinary evidence, and I beg your regards now, while I draw your attention to the use I make of it in the present instance. Will you hear me without interruption?"
"Surely, Brother Calvert, but call me not Mr. Cross. I am not a Mister.
I am plain John Cross; by virtue of my business, a brother, if it so please you to esteem me. Call me Brother Cross, or Brother John Cross, or plain John Cross, either of these will be acceptable unto me."
"We are all brothers, or should be," said Calvert; "and it will not need that there should be any misunderstanding between us on so small a matter."
"The matter is not small in the eye of the Lord," said the preacher.
"t.i.tles of vanity become not us, and offend in his hearing."
The old teacher smiled, but proceeded.
"Now, Brother Cross, if you will hear me, I will proceed, according to my reason, to dwell upon the proofs which are here presented to you, of the worthlessness of this man, Alfred Stevens; and when you consider how much the feelings and the safety of the daughters of your flock depend upon the character of those moral and religious teachers to whom the care of them is intrusted, you will see, I think, the necessity of listening patiently, and determining without religious prejudice, according to the truth and reason of the case."
"I am prepared to listen patiently, Brother Calvert," said John Cross, clasping his hands together, setting his elbows down upon the table, shutting his eyes, and turning his face fervently up to heaven. Old Hinkley imitated this posture quite as nearly as he was able; while Mrs. Hinkley, sitting between the two, maintained a constant to-and-fro motion, first on one side, then on the other, as they severally spoke to the occasion, with her head deferentially bowing, like a pendulum, and with a motion almost as regular and methodical. The movements of her nephew, Ned Hinkley, were also a somewhat pleasant study, after a fashion of his own. Sitting in a corner, he amused himself by drawing forth his "puppies," and taking occasional aim at a candle or flowerpot; and sometimes, with some irreverence, at the curved and rather extravagant proboscis of his worthy uncle, which, c.o.c.ked up in air, was indeed something of a tempting object of sight to a person so satisfied of his skill in shooting as the young rustic. The parties being thus arranged in a fit att.i.tude for listening, Mr. Calvert began somewhat after the following fashion:--
"Our first knowledge of Alfred Stevens was obtained through Brother John Cross."
"And what better introduction would you have?" demanded old Hinkley.
"None," said the other, "if Brother Cross knew anything about the party he introduced. But it so happens, as we learn from Brother Cross himself, that the first acquaintance he had with Stevens was made upon the road, where Stevens played a trick upon him by giving him brandy to drink."
"No trick, Brother Calvert; the young man gave it me as a medicine, took it as a medicine himself, and, when I bade him, threw away the accursed beverage."
"Ordinary men, governed by ordinary reason, Brother Cross, would say that Stevens knew very well what he was giving you, and that it was a trick."
"But only think, Mr. Calvert," said Mrs. Hinkley, lifting her hands and eyes at the same moment, "the blessed young man threw away the evil liquor the moment he was told to do so. What a sign of meekness was that!"
"I will not dwell on this point," was the reply of Calvert. "He comes into our village and declares his purpose to adopt the profession of the preacher, and proceeds to his studies under the direction of Brother Cross."
"And didn"t he study them?" demanded Mrs. Hinkley. "Wasn"t he, late and early, at the blessed volume? I heard him at all hours above stairs.
Oh! how often was he on his bended knees in behalf of our sinful race, ungrateful and misbelieving that we are!"
"I am afraid, madam," said Calvert, "that his studies were scarcely so profound as you think them. Indeed. I am at a loss to conceive how you should blind your eyes to the fact that the greater part of his time was spent among the young girls of the village."
"And where is it denied," exclaimed old Hinkley, "that the lambs of G.o.d should sport together?"
"Do not speak in that language, I pray you, Mr. Hinkley," said Calvert, with something of pious horror in his look; "this young man was no lamb of G.o.d, but, I fear, as you will find, a wolf in the fold. It is, I say, very well known that he was constantly wandering, even till a late hour of the night, with one of the village maidens."
"Who was that one, Brother Calvert?" demanded John Cross.
"Margaret Cooper."
"Hem!" said the preacher.
"Well, he quarrels with my young friend, the worthy son of Brother Hinkley--"
"Do not speak of that ungrateful cub. Brother Stevens did not quarrel with him. He quarrelled with Brother Stevens, and would have murdered him, but that I put in in time to save."
"Say not so, Mr. Hinkley. I have good reason to believe that Stevens went forth especially to fight with William."
"I would not believe it, if a prophet were to tell me it."
"Nevertheless, I believe it. We found both of them placed at the usual fighting-distance."
"Ah! but where were Brother Stevens"s pistols?"